New research from Anglian Water and FabLittleBag with Mumsnet users reveals a surprising range of attitudes and experiences about how women handle their periods.

The respondents were asked to sum up how they felt about their periods. 61% expressed negative feelings, with comments such as "absolutely sick to death of them" and "It can be utterly grim some months and that's my normal".

A third of women felt neutral about their periods, saying they feel "philosophical" and "it's just part of life as a woman".

Just 6% felt positive about their monthly experiences, saying "I try to see it as a period in the month where I can (must) take some much needed rest" and "I like experiencing the changes in my cycle, women's bodies are amazing really".

When asked whether periods are still a taboo subject, a resounding 75% felt that they weren't taboo for them personally, although many of those women still observed some privacy around...